


Wherever the Road May Take You, I'll be There

by Poke Kei (Maki_Kei)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:09:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5201897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maki_Kei/pseuds/Poke%20Kei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But, hmm… When the time comes for me to pursue my own hopes… Well, I hope that you, Wallace, will be behind me to lend a hand."</p><p>And if that means Wallace has to follow Steven to the ends of the earth, then so be it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wherever the Road May Take You, I'll be There

**Author's Note:**

> After finally saving up enough money to buy a 3DS and actually playing the game, I felt inspired after the scene with Steven and Wallace at the end of the Delta Episode to write a longer, more fleshed out Originshipping work.
> 
> I feel that I can now capture and write the characters much better because I've played the games, so I feel more confident in myself to try my hand at starting up a work with a few chapters. It'll probably be fairly short, and the rating may change.
> 
> Also there'll probably be Hoennshipping eventually, even if it only gets hinted at, but the main focus of the work will be on Originshipping. Rated as other because it is subject to change.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven agrees to help May as she learns the ropes of becoming a proper champion.

After an unexpected turn of events, a young, courageous pair of trainers set out to save all of Hoenn-and quite possibly the world-from its inevitable doom. After the two put a stop to their plans, and both teams realized that neither of their ideals could be fulfilled the way they had envisioned, Team Aqua and Team Magma stopped messing around with the forces of nature and reformed their ways of life.

One of the two trainers who had a part in stopping the end of the world, Brendan, pursued a life as a master coordinator. As for May, the other trainer, she took the role as Hoenn League Champion. After all, Brendan was the more reserved of the two, and May more than made up for his lack of competitiveness with her aggressive all-in style of battling. Because of this, May was the first to defeat the former Champion Steven, and after Brendan couldn't defeat her, he decided to pursue a different hobby. No sooner had he realized that he no longer wanted to fill the role of Champion as he found that he surprisingly enjoyed throwing himself headlong into contests the way he never could in battle.

But where did that leave the aforementioned former champion? Spelunking, of course. Steven would sit for days on end, searching for rare stones in any cave he could legally find his way into. Like he'd said many years ago, he'd gladly climb waterfalls to obtain them. And coincidentally, that's where Wallace found Steven now; atop the cascading streams of water inside of Meteor Falls. Wallace sighed.

“Steven, I realize that you are busy, but I must speak to you for a moment.” Wallace said with unhidden exasperation in his tone.

“Yes, Wallace, in a minute.” Steven stared closely at a rock formation, chipping away at it and allowing powder to become airborne from where it had once lain dormant. Wallace didn't see anything particularly magnificent about this cluster of stones, but of course what was invisible to him was all but obvious to Steven.

“No, Steven, now,” Wallace matched Steven’s tone and wording, only in a much more stern way. “This is actually kind of important.” Wallace placed a hand on Steven’s shoulder and yanked him back from his trance.

“Wallace, I was onto some-” Steven stopped when he saw the look on his friend’s face.

“Like I said, this is important Steven.” Wallace repeated. Steven nodded, stood up, and brushed his clothes of the fine debris that'd been accumulating there for Arceus knows how long.

“I apologize for my impudence, dear friend. Please do go on.” Steven bowed his head in apology.

“As I was saying, you need to know something that is of utmost importance,” Wallace started. Steven stared up at Wallace with anticipation in his eyes. “You see, you're late to that regional conference you promised May you'd accompany her to.” Steven’s heart dropped into his stomach.

May was the youngest Pokemon Champion to ever grace Hoenn with her charms. However, because of her age, she wasn't quite prepared for some of the challenges of being a champion. One of those things was meeting with all of the Hoenn Pokemon League-including the eight gym leaders-to discuss the well being of their region. And one of the things that they did in the meeting was elect who would be Hoenn’s representative at a similar, worldwide Pokemon League meeting. Since it was usually the Champion who was given the honors, May was a little terrified of going through the endeavor alone. Thus, bringing us back to the predicament Steven found himself in as of current.

“Shoot, I totally forgot!” Steven clasped his temples between his index finger and thumb.

“Yes, that is quite obvious,” Wallace began, sucking in a deep breath; something Steven knew as a habit Wallace had before he'd start ranting. “Honestly, Steven, you ought to make that new feature on the Pokenav usable to the public sooner rather than later. Do you know how incredibly inconvenient it is that you be the only person in the whole region with the means to call others? And on top of that, it's one sided, so all we can do is be humble to your whims. I'd have given anything to call you, rather than have to come all the way down here to retrieve you.” Wallace finished with his usual sigh, letting Steven know his lecture was over.

“I'm so sorry to be an inconvenience.” Steven said, because with no room to talk, he thought it best that he not remind Wallace of the fact that it was Mr. Stone pulling the strings behind Devon, and not Steven.

“Alright, enough with the formalities. To address the matter at hand, you will be going to that conference now Steven. Showered or not.” Wallace gestured to Steven’s heavily dusted clothing, and then to the time displayed on the screen of his Pokenav. Steven became flustered as he thought of what it would be like to be the former champion, coming late and covered in dirt, to a conference he had no place to attend.

“W-Wallace, you cannot be THAT heartless, yes?” Steven asked, hoping he could at least get away with returning to Mossdeep in order to change clothes.

“Steven,” Wallace began, his eyes closed and eyebrows turned down in malcontent. “Don't make me repeat myself. Get your behind to that meeting. NOW.” And so without any further requests, Steven packed his stuff and turned to leave.

“Ah, yes, er, Wallace…?” Steven turned to face Wallace, who was coming down behind him.

“Yes, what is it now?” Wallace asked.

“Where exactly...am I going?”

* * *

Everyone's eyes turned towards the door as Wallace and Steven, both former to the league, entered the room. They tried to nonchalantly enter and sit down without attracting attention or questions, but the point at which they could have done so had long since passed.

“What,” Liza began.

“Are you doing here?” Tate finished.

“Well, you see, our spoiled highness thought it acceptable to accompany our new Champion after she'd already arrived.” Wallace answered.

“Oh, no, it's alright everyone. I asked Steven to come!” May stood from where she sat, directing everyone's attention towards herself on their behalf.

“Then, why is Wallace here?” Roxanne asked.

“Because Steven is forgetful and also doesn't check his email.” Wallace answered for himself. Roxanne nodded in understanding.

“Everyone,” Steven walked to the front of the room, trying to ignore his unacceptable appearance. “I would like to formally apologize. I was digging in a cave, rather than attending to my duties as former champion.” Steven said, using words that sounded much like the ones his father would use with him when he accidentally neglected his obligations to Devon.

“It's alright, now please, sit yourself down young man.” Juan (Wallace’s former mentor, who had taken over his spot as Sootopolis’ gym leader so Wallace could focus on coordinating) said brashly, as if scolding a child. Steven nodded- embarrassment boiling in his cheeks- before he walked over to where Wallace and May sat, and found his place next to them.

“To continue,” Juan stood up and walked to the front. “Whom should we give this task to?”

“WELL! Us gym leaders are rather busy you know! Unlike you kids from the Pokemon League, we battle all day! You five have it easy, you’ve got to wait until people defeat all eight of us before you battle. Especially the champion, who, may I remind you, has lots of free time on their hands. I mean, when Steven was champion how often did we get notified he that he wasn't where he should be, and that we needed to keep an eye out for him?” Flannery said. Though she'd only been a gym leader for a short time, she'd been put through wringer by the number of Pokemon battles she'd had. “Let me also remind you, that this is not the first time Steven has shown up late to a meeting, either! I think punishment is needed!”

“Woah woah woah, hold your horses,” Brawly patted Flannery’s shoulder. “Let's not draw conclusions on our own.”

“I believe both of you to be correct.” Juan stated.

“Huh? Please explain?” Brawly asked with bewildered confusion in his voice.

“Well, I don't think whatever Flannery is thinking to its extreme is correct, but I do think she's right that the Champion should hold the duty as they have every year, and that Gym Leaders may as well be too busy to do it.” Juan continued.

“And what about Steven’s punishment?” Flannery asked, sounding like an impatient child waiting to open her Christmas present.

“Like I said, we need not take drastic measures Flannery. I said that you were both right, insinuating that Brawly was correct when telling you not to draw conclusions, but that you still had a point.” Juan said.

“Aw, but I still think it'd be fun to make Steven pay for inconveniencing us on so many occasions…” Flannery sounded more disappointed than Steven or Wallace, or even Juan for that matter, felt was appropriate.

“I have an idea that might satisfy everyone.” Wallace said, drawing people's attention away from the debate between Flannery and Juan.

“Do tell us, boy.” Juan said.

“Well, Steven promised May he'd help her with her duties as Champion whenever the times called for it. I think it would be in everyone's best interest if Steven accompanied May to the world conference. That way, May would not feel such a heavy burden, the Champion carries on the tradition, and, yes, Flannery. Steven gets his punishment.” Wallace finished with a sigh.

“Aw yeah!” Flannery made a fist in victory.

“Leave it to you to find the answer that makes everyone satisfied, as always, Wallace.” Juan patted Wallace on the shoulder.

“Thank you, master.” Wallace bowed his head in respect.

After the meeting, Steven and May made arrangements for their means of transportation, and planned out all the tedious things their travel would require. The world conference was still a month away, but Steven was always over prepared. Once he was done speaking to May, he managed to catch Wallace before he made his way back to Sootopolis.

“Ah, friend.” Steven said, taking Wallace by the arm.

“Yes, and what does my most pampered hier want this time?” Wallace asked.

“It's rather funny that you say that, because, in fact, you called me the same thing in the conversation I am about to bring up,” Steven said, trying to catch his breath after running to catch up to Wallace. Wallace raised one eyebrow, an almost amused look crossing his face.

“And what conversation might you be referring to, my dear Steven?” Wallace asked.

“Do you remember, after May saved our world for the second time from that meteorite up at the top of the Sky Pillar, and after we got the news, we met up in my room at the Pokemon league? Well, do you remember our conversation then?” Steven asked.

“But of course I do, Steven. How could I forget after you humbled yourself down in such a manner?” Wallace teased, but Steven just rolled his eyes and brushed the comment off.

“Yes, well, anyway, the point I'm trying to make. At that time, you promised you'd be behind me no matter where I went, yes?” Steven asked again. Wallace cocked his head to one side, and that half amused but half concerned expression returned to his face.

“Where are you going with this?” Wallace asked. Steven put his index finger in the air, almost close enough to Wallace’s lips that he could've easily thought Steven was silencing him.

“I'm getting there. But first, I must know, Do you still hold yourself up to that?” Steven was now mostly pointing at Wallace, rather than shushing him.

“Or course I do Steven, now please stop being cryptic. What is it that you want to say?” Wallace asked, becoming slightly impatient.

“Well, hypothetically, can I take it that by ‘being behind me’, you'd be willing to travel the world with me?” Steven finally finished. But Wallace knew Steven better than to think this was really a hypothetical question he was asking, otherwise he wouldn't be asking it at all. And with that in mind, it finally clicked in Wallace’s head what was really being asked of him.

“Of course Steven, I will come with you to the world conference so you won't have to be seen alone with a twelve year old girl.” Wallace pinched the bridge of his nose with his unspoken annoyance. Really, why Steven always had to take so long to get to the point was beyond him. And why he couldn't just ask straight out, though he should know that Wallace would always get the truth out of him, was something Wallace still couldn't understand.

“Oh, yes, thank you friend! I am so glad you think it would be better that way too. Alright, I'll tell you everything May and I have already planned.” With that, Steven began taking an hour to explain everything, down to the most mundane details.

Although, Wallace actually didn't mind. Because, in truth, he enjoyed listening to Steven speak. In fact, he wasn't going on this trip for Steven’s sake at all, rather for his own selfish desires. Though it would take all his will power to admit it to the man himself, Wallace felt a strong attraction towards Steven Stone. He felt a twinge of sadness whenever Steven would address him as ‘friend’, because if Wallace had it his way, he'd do much more than follow Steven across the world. Yes, traveling with Steven was something, but it was at the bottom of the list of things Wallace wanted to do with him.

But, with an excuse at his disposal and wishful thinking prodding the back of his brain, Wallace decided to think of this as a step in the right direction.


End file.
